Alternatives To ‘Correct’ and ‘Incorrect’: The eLearning Coach
Ideas for better feedback than the generic "correct" and "incorrect" used too often in e-learning. Consequences in a simulation are a form a feedback. So is branching in a scenario.
ZebraZapps: Santa, Can We Talk?
Example of a branching scenario activity with a coach and a meter showing progress on every screen, built in ZebraZapps
Simulation Tools for Every Budget
Tools for branching scenarios, from free and simple to expensive and complex. PDF, PowerPoint, BranchTrack, Inklewriter, Twine, Storyline, and SimWriter.
Quandary
Freeware application for creating "action mazes" or branching scenarios
Storyboarding Branched Scenarios - ThinkingKap
This is something I've struggled with--a good method for storyboarding branching scenarios. I've used several different Word and PowerPoint templates in the past, none of which have quite worked the way I wanted. I can write the branching in a linear document without much trouble (I once drafted one longhand in a notebook), but it makes my SMEs brains explode to try to follow them. I've seen recommendations for Twine in the past, and this explains in more detail how it works as a storyboarding tool.
Google Forms: Create a Branching Quiz Question - Teacher Tech
Use Google Forms to create a branching quiz. This could be used for a branching scenario as well. You can add images in Google Forms, so you could add some visual interest as well. A tool called Flubaroo can be used for scoring.
Stephen's Web ~ Managing the Complexity of Branching Scenarios ~ Stephen Downes
Stephen Downes comments in response to my post on managing the complexity of scenarios that merging paths makes it "more like a narration and less like a game." Is it bad for stories for learning and with specific learning objectives to be a bit more like a narration? Perhaps that's a feature, not a bug. Also, most video games do this to some extent. Mass Effect does not have 27 different endings, for example.
Twine (and similar systems) allow paths to merge, reducing the number of possibilities, but at the cost of making the scenario more like a narration and less like a game.
These Maps Reveal the Hidden Structures of 'Choose Your Own Adventure' Books - Atlas Obscura
Visual maps of the branching structure of Choose Your Own Adventure books
Proofing copy - Word processor - Twine Forum
Suggestions on ways to make an editable copy of a Twine story in Google Docs. None of these are as easy as they should be, but at least there are some workarounds.
Branching Scenario (beta) | H5P
H5P has a tool for branching scenarios now. The sample is a well-done interactive video scenario for home visitors.
Standard Patterns in Choice-Based Games | These Heterogenous Tasks
Patterns for branching stories and games. Many of these are more complex than what a branching scenario for learning would need to be, but recognizing the patterns and options is helpful.
Yo Scenario | The branching scenario builder
A browser-based branching scenario builder. Free for 5 scenarios to try it out. Paid plans start at £20/ month.
Resources for Creating Branching Scenarios - E-Learning Uncovered
Diane Elkin's curated resources on creating branching scenarios, including examples, books, blog posts, and templates.
How to give delayed FEEDBACK in a Google Form -
Branching scenarios can be built in Google Forms. It may not be my first choice as a tool, but plenty of teachers in schools are restricted to Google tools. This post goes step by step to show how to provide either immediate or delayed feedback and how to create branching with the "Go to Section" option.
Celestory - Create your customized training
Tool for creating branching scenario training or interactive games. I haven't tried this yet, but there's a free version that would be enough to test it out. The tool collects data on user behavior. The website says it's using AI to analyze behavior, but it's not quite clear exactly what that AI is doing.
An H5P Branching Scenario That Might Break the Boat – CogDogBlog
Alan Levine built this very complex branching scenario in H5P and Pressbooks. This includes some scenario images and descriptions, plus a separate tracker where you have to fill out forms with info and keep track of finances and other notes. Alan's blog post explains how he built the random events (which were originally a card draw in the physical version).
Branching Scenarios: Yes, No, Maybe? – The H5P PB Kitchen
This is another post about Alan Levine's branching scenario built in H5P and Pressbooks. At the bottom of the post, Alan provides links to several other examples of branching scenarios built in H5P.
Watch "Creating a Branching Scenario Quiz with Camtasia" on YouTube
Matt Pierce shows how to create an interactive video with custom feedback. Matt notes this is challenging to troubleshoot and needs to be planned in advance, but this is an interesting possibility.
Decisions, Decisions! – Engage Brain and Train!
A humorous Choose Your Own Adventure branching scenario sample by Jonathan Hill. The look and feel matches the classic books. Jonathan includes a tip to consider adding decisions in the beginning that have no impact on the outcome (just a cosmetic change), but provide a tutorial or practice on using the controls.
Opinion | Your Friend Doesn’t Want the Vaccine. What Do You Say? - The New York Times
This is an example of a chatbot simulation to teach people how to persuade people to get vaccinated using motivational interviewing techniques. This includes immediate feedback after each choice, right or wrong (appropriate for an audience with zero background in motivational interviewing, even if it breaks up the conversation). The branching structure is a simple gauntlet. After each wrong choice, you get feedback and then are forced to pick the correct choice to continue the conversation.
Survive an Earthquake - INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN BY TRACY CARROLL
In this sample, Tracy used Storyline to simulate the look and feel of BranchTrack. The choices are styled with numbers and text like BranchTrack, and the push transition between slides mimics the effect between choices. If you don't have BranchTrack but like that style, this shows how you can accomplish the same effect in Storyline. This could be used for a lot of branching scenarios or short sims.
Harlowe Audio Library
Free tool for managing audio files with Twine and Harlowe
Using Twine for Classroom Engagement - ACTion
This is a summary of a project at the University of Toronto using Twine to create an educational game, plus an overview of Twine.
Although Twine is a tool for creating “games”, this project goes beyond games and gamification to think creatively about how the functions of Twine can be used to create activities that allow students to more directly engage with learning content in a hands-on experiential format that may not be possible in a traditional classroom learning space.
Create a Branching Scenario in 7 Steps – jamie billingham
Jamie Billingham explains his process for creating a branching scenario. He plans the structure in a mind mapping tool called Plectica and uses tables to organize content. The final product was built in Storyline. This process is a little different than mine, and it's interesting to see someone else walk through their steps.
How to Craft Branched Scenario Choices Like a Game Designer - E-Learning Heroes
Taking inspiration from games, this post notes some specific features of games that we can borrow for branching scenarios. Plus, Bianca includes recommendations for games to try for more ideas.
Does writing style change how learners perceive choices in a branched scenario? – Learningworld Design
Description of PhD research on how the writing style of choices in a branching scenario affected which options learners chose and how they thought about those options. This is a small sample size, but still interesting results in favor of using dialog for branching scenario choices.
Finally, version with dialogue-based choices (see screenshot above) was perceived as more personal and engaging, “lively” and helpful for making a selection (“made me feel like I was talking out loud in my head”).
The findings from this pilot questionnaire seem to indicate that providing framing in the options themselves has more effect on the learner than providing it in an introductory text.
Additionally, options written as dialogue were experienced as more personal and elicited higher emotional reactions of the learner towards the characters. This may be of use in courses about soft skills.
Write better elearning scenarios: active or descriptive choices – Learningworld Design
In branching scenarios, descriptive choices "You tell him he is right" feel very different than active choices ""You're right!" I agree with the author that there are no hard and fast rules in branching scenarios; there are times that both can be used effectively.
The most important aspect of branching scenarios and interactive stories are the choices presented to the player/learner. Choices are what make interactive stories different from other creative writing outputs such as novels, plays and movies.
Choices can feel totally different to a player depending on how they are written, even if they seem to have the same outcome.
How to Create Branching Scenarios (5 Instructional Design Tips) — The Interactive Story
Kimberly Goh shares tips on branching scenario structure, comparing the time cave vs. branch and bottleneck structure. She recommends skipping both of those and using a gauntlet structure, which she calls a "mastery loop." This is her "optimized branching structure." She builds on to it a little more by showing more consequences for bad choices, but it's still ultimately a friendly gauntlet that always forces you back to the right path. I'm part of the "some people" who often discourage the limited gauntlet structure; I don't think this is a true branching scenario. But, it is an interactive story.
<p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">In a Mastery Loop, every time you make a poor decision, you see the poor consequence play out, then you automatically get to make the decision again. Once you make the right decision, the story continues. There’s really only one way to get to the ending, and it’s always the best ending.</p><p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Some people discourage the use of Mastery Loops because they feel it’s overly controlling to “force” people to eventually choose the right path. </p><p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">But if your business problem is relatively simple, and doesn’t require a lot of nuanced decisions, a Mastery Loop might be the best format to use. </p>
GuidedTrack – Home
A no code tool for building web apps and interactive surveys. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks like you could use this for building branching scenarios. In the info for educators, it says you can make CYOA lessons that adapt content and grade automatically. You can start with a free plan to try it out.
Scenario Based Learning: Examples and Templates for How to Create SBL
Rued Riis gives a quick overview of scenario-based learning with animated Vyond videos. In his example, he uses links within YouTube to go to the next video based on which choice you make. This blog post summarizes everything from all of the videos.